Colorado Party Rentals specializes in ‘a little bit of everything’ to offer a variety of services and inventory items.
by Holly Eamon
Business strategies often aim to narrow a company’s focus. But variety fueled the four generations of entrepreneurial success that led to the 2015 purchase of Colorado Party Rentals by Nathan Pearse, president, and his father.
The Denver, Colo.-based tent, decor and equipment rental company was founded in 2006 and became available for purchase in 2014. Though Pearse was new to the event industry, his competitive analysis revealed that his family’s knack for helping companies across several industries stand out from the competition could take Colorado Party Rentals to the next level.
Pearse has since expanded the company’s inventory, from glassware to lounge furniture, adding unique pieces that draw diverse clients.
“We looked at competitor showrooms and everything was the same. We wanted ours to feel like a trendy retail setting with items you can’t get just anywhere,” Pearse says.
Clients over profits
While higher-end items attract higher budgets, the company’s commitment to remaining value-driven is a key growth contributor.
“We’re a long-term value creation company, which means our job is to advocate for our clients, not maximize transactions. Whether a client’s budget is $5,000 or $500,000, we do the best we can to make their event the best it can be.”
Colorado Party Rentals serves clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region from its offices in Santa Fe, N.M., and Colorado Springs, Colo., in addition to Denver. For everything from weddings to tradeshows, high-profile clients across several states are more than willing to pay delivery fees to secure the company’s exclusive inventory and the expertise of its event designers and planners.
“Clients can get everything they need from us, plus recommendations on styling it all to optimize aesthetics for an event that looks unlike any other. For a specific population, that’s worth the cost of funding a 20-hour roundtrip for multiple trucks and people,” Pearse says.
Persistent pandemic complications
This is becoming more challenging, however, as Colorado Party Rentals faces staff and supply shortages. The company risked staying open through the pandemic, relying on hospital and restaurant tenting business to stay afloat. As that risk paid off and wedding business began to boom in late 2020, inventory and employees grew harder to find.
Higher demand and delayed production and shipping are limiting product availability and increasing costs, which could eventually stifle the company’s growth. But even with its current inventory, Colorado Party Rentals needs a bigger team to keep up with bookings.
“A lot of the positions we need to fill require a wide range of skills. We’ve increased wages up to 40 percent but still haven’t hired enough help.”
In July 2021, for the first time ever, the company halted new business for the following month. During the first week of August, it turned down new business for September as well. With staff working long shifts nearly every day of the week, Pearse would not justify profits over employees’ well-being.
“We also had to ensure we could take care of clients who had booked business months or even a year ago,” he says. “It was a difficult decision from a sales point of view but the right thing to do.”
Pearse is poised to adapt as necessary to ensure people remain priority. “There’s really no secret to our success. At the end of every day, all you can control is doing the best you can do, and that guides us in every way.”
Holly Eamon is a business writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minn.
SIDEBAR: Colorado Party Rentals
Denver, Colo.
Year founded: 2006
Number of employees: 70 year-round; 155 seasonal
Primary business: Weddings
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